Another cat question - parsley

[7rider]

HI all.
A neighbor of mine mentioned mixing fresh parsley in with her cat's food. She stated that it supplied the chlorophyll they were looking for and kept them from seeking it out in her house plants. I didn't quiz her for more detail, but I'm wondering if any of you heard of such a thing and if there is any merit to it?
If so, what about dried parsley, and mixing in a little bit of that with their wet food?
Thoughts? Thanks.

[Biciclista]

i have never heard of parsley for cats. why not wheat grass?

[smilingcat]

We give them wheat grass. You can find small potted ones in the herb section of your local natural/organic grocery store.

My cats will mow them down as if they were goats. Just be careful of which plants to give. Some are mildly toxic while other plants can be quite toxic. So check with your vet...

[Chile Pepper]

I used to grow a pot of grass for my cat when I had her indoors. She loved it! I suppose parsley would work as well. It certainly won't hurt.

[westtexas]

I've never heard of parsley used for this purpose - but I have heard of it used to "freshen" pets' breath. I think you can chop it up and freeze it and add a few teaspoons to the food. I don't see how it could hurt, but the benefit has probably not been proven.

[7rider]

We bought a tub of wheat grass when they were kittens, but never sprouted it. DH is unsure how you get it through a little cat brain that "this" plant is okay to eat, but "that" plant is not. I agree. I'm not sure how they can make the distinction with confusing the heck out of them.

We've given them these wheat grass treats (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3082033), but are currently out of them. I can't say they did or did not go for the plants (ferns being the current fave, along with the Kalenchoe) when they were eating it. Maybe I'll pick up some parsley at the store this afternoon and see how that goes.

Thanks!

[westtexas]

(ferns being the current fave, along with the Kalenchoe)

Whatever you do, DON'T let them eat that kalenchoe. Those things are very poisonous - cardiotoxic. They can cause fatal arrhythmias. If they don't do that they can burn the tissue of the mouth and cause ulcerations.

[7rider]

Whatever you do, DON'T let them eat that kalenchoe. Those things are very poisonous - cardiotoxic. They can cause fatal arrhythmias. If they don't do that they can burn the tissue of the mouth and cause ulcerations.

Good to know, thanks. We chase them from all plants, and keep them out of the kitchen (where the plants are that they're into chomping) when we're not around. We've tried spraying the plants with all manner of crap (from lemon juice to some anti-cat chewing stuff that smells like cinnamon from the pet store), but nothing works.

[Biciclista]

actually, cats that grow up outside never poison themselves with plants, because they become familiar enough with the smell and tastes of beneficial plants -- it's housepets who run risks of poisoning themselves as they are in such an artificial environment.

[malkin]

Timely...
Brewer put some leftover flat leaf parsley sprigs on top of the bird cage for the budgies to nibble.

Who should we see jumping on top of the cage to steal the parsley, taking it back to his lair, but Txukka the cat.

[7rider]

Well, they've been getting both fresh and dried parsley mixed in with their food for a few days now. Still no noticeable abatment in the plant munching, however.

I'll give Zoe a fresh leaf, and she'll nibble on it, toss it around and drop it to the floor. She'll come back for it hours later (yes, I'll not sweep it up...in the interest of scientific inquiry!), after it's all wilted and droopy, and only then will she actually eat it. :rolleyes: Go figure. Since they both go for the dried fern leaves, I think they view them sort of like potato chips. Crunchy snacks. Wondering if I should dry whole parsley leaves for them.

[badger]

and I'm sure most of you know, but poinsettias are also very toxic to cats.